24 November 2012, 12:42 PM IST
When Michael Schumacher sits down to introspect, he might come to a conclusion that coming out of his retirement was not a very good idea. The Formula One legend did not really do his reputation any good by returning to a sport he had ruled for such a long time. As he bows out again, he would be doing so without the shield of invincibility that he had acquired during late 1990s and early 2000s.
Schumacher is without doubt one of the greatest sportsmen ever to walk the earth, but then, as he retires for the second time, he will be doing so as an ordinary one. Not the legend that he deserves to be remembered as.
Did he have to come back? Maybe not. He had stayed away long enough to allow other drivers to not just catch up with him, but also prove that they were better. The Vettels and the Alonsos were clearly better drivers in the three years of Schumacher's second innings.
What made him come back? Was he convinced that he was still the best? Or were the financial gains too tempting to resist? Perhaps it was a combination of both. Mercedes, his team during his second innings finally ran out of patience and once they picked up Lewis Hamilton for the next season, it was quite evident that Schumacher was continuing his Formula One journey on borrowed time. There was no way they would renew his contract. Even if he had made himself available for another season, Schumacher perhaps would not have found any takers. He hadn't really done anything noteworthy in the past three years to inspire confidence among the constructors. Schumacher as a driver had a lot to give when he retired for the first time in 2006 as one of the best in business. And in 2012, as he retires again, the same Schumacher is just an ordinary driver, struggling to meet the standards set most of the other competitors.
Had he stayed out after 2006, the successes of the Vettels and the Alonsos would have been compared with him. There would always have been doubts whether these drivers could ever be as good as Schumacher. Whether they could come anywhere close to the standards he had set.
But now, we know that they are in fact better than him. Would they have been better than Schumacher when he was at his prime? That will continue to be debated. But then, that's a debate one would take with a pinch of salt.
Legends often have problems in timing their retirement right. Schumacher did not have that problem. His retirement was perfectly timed, only that his come back perhaps spoiled it a little. He will definitely receive a warm send-off this time too, but then it won't be same as in 2006.
When the drivers come back to race in the next season, no one would be talking about Schumacher. That stands in contrast to 2007, when he was missed. Every winner was being compared to Schumacher. This time, as he walks into sunset once again, the legend will take his shadow with him. An exit that will not leave behind too many fond memories.
Goodbye legend, and please stay away this time.
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